Moparts
Turned the key and nothing?
Posted By: sbcjd
Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 02:34 AM
Went out to start the challenger today. It has been sitting since July. Turned the key and nothing--no click no sound at all. Put the 5 1/2 year old battery on a battery tender and after a couple of hours the tender shows its charged. Hit the key and still nothing. Where should I start checking. Thanks
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 02:40 AM
Quote:
Went out to start the challenger today. It has been sitting since July. Turned the key and nothing--no click no sound at all. Put the 5 1/2 year old battery on a battery tender and after a couple of hours the tender shows its charged. Hit the key and still nothing. Where should I start checking. Thanks
Remove and clean both battery posts and cables first.
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 02:49 AM
I cleaned the battery post and cable ends. Still no sounds.
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 03:07 AM
Wiggle/check the 2 big plastic plugs under the steering wheel/coluum while having someone turning the key, if this is a old challenger?
Posted By: yellow70charger
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 03:09 AM
try starting in neutral
Posted By: moparpoolman
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 03:10 AM
"Put the 5 1/2 year old battery on a battery"
How long do you think batteries last?
Dome light come on? If yes, try it in neutral
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 03:15 AM
(1) pull the female connector/wire off of the "grn" terminal on the starter relay & with a jumper wire with alligator clips on each end ground the male lug on the starter relay to ground & see if it will crank/start with the key. (2) If it cranks, pull the 3 wire connector off of the side of the trans case & ground the center female pin in the connector you removed, to the trans case & see if it will crank/start. If it does then put the trans in park & ohm the center pin in the trans piece to the trans case & see if you have continuity. (4) if it wont crank (but did in (1) trace that wire back to the firewall bulkhead & seperate the bulkhead & check/clean those 2 brass terminals on either half. sometimes just seperating the halves then replacing em is enough to restore continuity. If it would not crank in (1) originally; with your meter or test light see if you have fire at the yellow wire female connector itself at the starter relay "ign" terminal while someone holds the key to start. If no fire check that pair of brass terminals in the bulkhead halves for the "start" circuit.
www.mymopar.com has the colors for you. Short version: starter relay needs fire to the "ign" terminal for it to crank/starter relay "grn" terminal needs to be grounded in park/neutral. Holler back when you can
Posted By: mopar346
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 03:44 AM
Make sure the trans is safely in park if an auto or in neutral if a standard before jumping the starter relay.
Posted By: TJP
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 04:11 AM
Step 1, does the dome light work? maybe it's not functional??? Turn on the headlights, Do they turn on and are bright???
IF not, check the battery and cables
IF they are, turn the key and see if they go out,
Report back
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 06:00 PM
First I want to thank you all for the tips. The car is a 1970 Challenger with a 440 engine and 727 transmission. It started just fine back in July. The dome light and head lights work. I will be checking some of the wiring today or tomorrow. Thanks again.
Posted By: hemi68charger
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 06:25 PM
Carefully, try by-passing the started-relay switch on the driver's fender apron and see if the starter engages... Also, even though you may have lights, you may not have enough juice to engage any part of the starter circuit.
If it turns over that way, then I would start checking from there. Maybe it is the starter relay..
Posted By: TJP
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 07:45 PM
Quote:
First I want to thank you all for the tips. The car is a 1970 Challenger with a 440 engine and 727 transmission. It started just fine back in July. The dome light and head lights work. I will be checking some of the wiring today or tomorrow. Thanks again.
if the headlights remain bright when the key is turned your most likely candidates are:
The starter relay, the neutral safety switch, the wiring that connects them or linkage adjustment.
Try momentarily jumpering the two silver terminals with a heavy wire or screwdriver. If the starter engages it is one of the 3 above mentioned items
Report back 
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 08:03 PM
I tightened the nuts on the starter cables, tried the lights and they did not come on so I cranked on the battery ground cable nut and the lights came on. Turned the key and heard a sound behind the dash. Some sort of electrical sound. Put the battery tender to charge the battery and it is charging now. Yesterday it showed the battery fully charged. So maybe the battery is not holding its charge. May have to get a new battery. Back out to the garage.
Posted By: hemi68charger
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 09:53 PM
Quote:
I tightened the nuts on the starter cables, tried the lights and they did not come on so I cranked on the battery ground cable nut and the lights came on. Turned the key and heard a sound behind the dash. Some sort of electrical sound. Put the battery tender to charge the battery and it is charging now. Yesterday it showed the battery fully charged. So maybe the battery is not holding its charge. May have to get a new battery. Back out to the garage.
When you're messing with the key to see if it'll crank, make sure you turn everything off so there's no noise being generated that might lead to an erronous diagnosis, like the heater fan motor, etc..
Posted By: Cab_Burge
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 09:59 PM
Check the battery voltage with a good volt meter, it should have a minumum of 12.25 volts after sitting from charging several hours
If not replace it and then start your trouble shooting
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 11:21 PM
Ok, I took the starter relay shield off a used a large screw driver to short across the two silver post. The engine did not crank. So what is next?
Posted By: larrymopar360
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 11:36 PM
Not even a click at the starter? Bad solenoid maybe.
Posted By: GTSDart340
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/10/14 11:41 PM
Start with the easy stuff. Take the battery out and to the local parts store for a load test. If it tests good, then start looking into the starter and or relay.
Posted By: stumpy
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 12:02 AM
Did you check both ends of the ground cable?
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 01:58 AM
No, I checked the end that bolts to the radiator support. I did not pull the intake manifold bolt end. I did replace the start relay and shorted the two posts. All I got was some sparking. No engine cranking. Guess I should have the battery tested or maybe I will go buy a new one. I will report my results. Thanks for all the help.
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 02:43 AM
Quote:
I did replace the start relay and shorted the two posts. All I got was some sparking. No engine cranking. Guess I should have the battery tested
Healthy amt of sparks? (1) starter (solenoid) is bad (very likely) (2) eng froze (not likely), put a 1&1/4" socket/breaker bar/short extension on the crank bolt & you'll know in seconds. (3) your batt is fine
Posted By: Sxrxrnr
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 02:52 AM
My money is on connector that ties ignition switch wiring as it exits column to dash wiring harness loom. Simple to check out at with a test light at starter relay as ignition switch Is turned to 'start' position. There are 6 main wires in this connector,,,one of which feeds current from ignition switch to starter at the underhood relay.
Male pins or female receptacles often lose their required snug fit at this connector.
Remote possibility that ignition switch itself is bad.
Can also test by running jumper wire from battery positive to the wire tab at relay that sends signal to starter solenoid. If cranks, either above connector is bad or firewall connector is.
If no crank, is solenoid or starter itself.
Doubt very much that a defective battery would cause zero starter response if headlights illuminate ok.
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 06:55 AM
It was a very weak spark. I will pull the starter out and have it bench tested. The last time I did that the starter bench tested OK but did not turn the engine when i reinstalled it. So I bought a new one and that solved the problem. I do not like doing the work twice. I am a little skeptical of auto stores saying the part tests OK then It does not work in the car. The battery obviously is a easy out and in deal.
Posted By: stumpy
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 07:13 AM
If your going to replace the starter go with a mini. Easier to work with and turns over faster and stronger.
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 07:25 AM
Quote:
I will pull the starter out and have it bench tested. I do not like doing the work twice.
How about this. Set a known good batt on the ground next to the Dr front wheel & with jumper cables connect the starter to the batt: with a red cable end clamp both starter terminals together then the other red end to batt positive post (as you know/not being patronizing but just going step by step) then one black end to starter/block case then final connection: other black end to batt neg post (keeps the sparks outside where you can control/manage it) & see if the starter cranks. Not likely eng is froze but grab a socket/breaker bar & elim that in 1 minute
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 06:39 PM
If i had an extra known good battery I would have put that one in the car and try starting it. I did put a socket and breaker bar on the crank bolt and the engine does move freely. This morning I went out and tried to turn the head lights on and nothing. The dome light does work. I put the battery charger back on and it is now recharging. Seems the battery is loosing its charge over night. I am going to take the battery back to Sam's Club and have them load test it. The battery still has a couple of years pro rated warranty. I will probably buy a new battery and eliminate one of the variables. The starter looks new and I checked my records and I only have about 100 miles on the starter in the last 4 years. Sorry for the long blog.
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 10:47 PM
Quote:
Seems the battery is loosing its charge over night. I am going to take the battery back to Sam's Club and have them load test it. Sorry for the long blog.
(1) As you're doing slo charge it till it's up which it has to be for a valid load test & maybe they can test it for you on the spot rather than you having to make a return trip if they had to charge it. (2) After dark with doors shut/everything off with that or another battery in there, take off a batt cable & see if you see a spark & if so there is a draw that is draining the batt & there would have to be for it to go dead that fast unless the batt is really kaput. (3) that ain't a long blog! (not even close 
). some of the symptoms ain't (quite) adding up completely & the battery is always the first item to confirm. It'd sure be nice if you could borrow another one for an hour or so. Holler with any news
Posted By: sbcjd
Re: Turned the key and nothing? - 12/11/14 11:44 PM
Went to Sam's club this morning. They tested the battery and said it had a dead cell. So they gave me a new battery. I am going to install it after lunch. Hopefully this will do the trick.